Catch up on all the team news ahead of tonight’s World Cup clash between France and Iraq – where Les Bleus can secure advancement with a win.
France will be hoping to secure a place in the knockout stages of the World Cup when they face Iraq tonight. Les Bleus ravaged Senegal in their opening match, and even though the Senegalese were AFCON finalists in 2026, the French stars didn’t have much trouble making their mark on the match.
Read: Wants to lure Dusan Vlahovic away from Juventus with €10 million in annual salary
It was the Kylian Mbappé show. The Real Madrid star scored two goals and set the tone for a France that is looking to reclaim the World Cup trophy.
Team News: France with the Stars – Iraq with Changes
France’s starting eleven (4-3-3):
Maignan – Digne, Upamecano, Koundé, Saliba – Koné, Rabiot – Dembélé, Mbappé, Olise – Barcola
Substitutes:
Samba, Risser, Gusto, Konaté, Hernandez, Hernandez, Lacroix, Tchouaméni, Kanté, Zaire-Emery, Cherki, Akliouche, Thuram, Doué, Mateta
Iraq’s starting eleven (4-3-3):
Basil – Ali, Tahseen, Hashim, Doski – Bayesh, Iqbal, Alammari – Ishmael, Qasem, Hussein
Substitutes:
Talib, Hassan, Sulaka, Younus, Maknazi, Saadoon, Putros, Amyn, Yakob, Sher, Alhamadi, Ali, Yousif, Jasim, Farji
Key figures before the match
- France have won 10 of their last 12 matches.
- France have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last six games.
- Iraq have not won any of their last three games.
- Aymen Hussein’s goal and own goal against Norway made him the third player in World Cup history to score at both ends in the same match.
Our Prediction
France will have too much for Iraq, who will fight hard but ultimately lack the quality to threaten Les Bleus. Expect Olise and Mbappé to cause chaos.
Prediction: France 4-0 Iraq
Read on F7: Pushing Manchester City to surpass Liverpool’s shopping spree last summer
